LOVELL HOMES COME HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY NORTH WEST HOMEBUYERS

10 May 2016

PERSONAL recommendations were the main driver for sales of new Lovell homes in the North West last year – reinforcing Lovell’s reputation as a highly regarded housebuilder.

In fact, 40% of new customers were introduced to the company by a friend or family member, 9% more than came through online searches such as Rightmove and Google. One location where endorsements from existing customers have been particularly prevalent is at The Way development in Beswick, Manchester.

For sales executive Caroline Banks the phenomenon is not altogether surprising given the number of happy customers she deals with on a daily basis.

Caroline said: “It’s simply a lovely place to live, close to the city with a really happy environment. We have lots of friends buying, members of the same family or people who work together. We have so many doctors living here who work nearby and all know each other. It makes for a very friendly development and also really boosts our sales!”

One Lovell homeowner who has already recommended four work colleagues to move to the development is IT consultant Giri Vuppula. Giri moved into his new four-bedroom ‘Trafford’ home at Axis at The Way last year with his wife Jyothi and daughter Rithika having previously lived in an apartment.

He chose it for its “modern design and spacious rooms” and location close to a primary school, GP surgeries, tram station, Sports City and Etihad Stadium along with the city centre’s shops and major train stations.

He said: “My favourite room in the house is the living room. We spend most of our time in there as a family, talking, watching TV, drinking coffee and tea and eating together.”

Its energy efficient design was another key draw for Giri, who added: “Older houses were not designed for modern day living. With modern technologies it is much more efficient to heat larger rooms. This allows for much more spacious and open-plan living, where floor space traditionally eaten up by corridors can now be used more effectively. The fact that newer homes tend to be more efficient, your ongoing running costs are also lower, which is not to be taken lightly.”

And the reasons for him recommending Axis at The Way to four of his colleagues? “Lovell homes are good quality, stylish and affordably priced. It’s a great location and, as new builds, they have decent sized rooms and a wide variety of house styles to choose from. We also experienced very good aftercare service after moving in.”

Simon Warren, who purchased a home at Faraday Green, part of Lovell’s Platting Village development in Miles Platting, Manchester, was also happy to endorse the properties to a friend who went on to buy at the same location.

He said: “I’d looked at one or two old houses and I think you expect different things. You know with an older property you’re probably going to have to put some work in but with a new home everything is shiny and new and all yours. I first visited Faraday Green with a friend and then I came back a week later with my parents to get their opinion. We all thought it was good value and the properties themselves were of a high standard with a stylish exterior design.”

Simon, who works in Knutsford, Cheshire, opted for a two-bedroom Pendleton.

He added: “My friend who came with me on my first visit was also looking for a new home and asked me about the properties once I moved in. I told her to go for it and she has now bought here too.”

Clare Noakes, sales manager for Lovell Homes in the North West said: “We’re very proud of our record of 40% of sales in the North West coming from personal recommendations. It’s testament to the build quality of our homes and also the fantastic customer care offered by our site and sales teams. In a world where most people start their search for a new home online, to have that personal relationship with our customers from the start is very important to us.”

Last year, 90.7% of respondents to a survey by independent research company InHouse said they would recommend Lovell Homes to friends or family.

Lovell North West, based in Altrincham, is building homes in Manchester, Middleton, Liverpool and Cockermouth and Carlisle in Cumbria.